Senate Panel Delays Vote on Hagel Nomination

GOP demands for further info 'unprecendented', says chairman

The Senate confirmation process for Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel has stalled, amid requests from GOP lawmakers for further financial information on his paid speeches and other dealings.

A Senate panel postponed the vote that had been scheduled for Thursday. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said the demands were 'unprecedented' for a defense nominee. The lawmakers want to know "things no prior candidate has ever been asked for, way beyond what the rules of the committee are," Levin told The Hill."He has provided all of the financial information that was required."

In a letter to Hagel, 25 Senate Republicans said they could not vote until he provided details on all compensation of more than $5,000 that he had received over the past five years. They also asked for information on recent speeches, which groups he has addressed and on donors to those groups.

"The committee, and the American people, have a right to know if a nominee for secretary of defense has received compensation, directly or indirectly, from foreign sources," Senate Republicans wrote. "Until the committee receives full and complete answers, it cannot in good faith determine whether you should be confirmed as secretary of defense."

Hagel wrote in a letter to GOP committee members that some of the financial information they seek is legally controlled by others and not up to him to disclose. Levin said he believed the Senate would ultimately confirm Hagel, the Associated Press reports.

This is embarrassing. Sen McCain has not addressed the qualifications that apply to the job, instead he's dredging up things from years in the past, and he's doing it with a sneer that completely undermines his reputation as a statesman.

We used to call the Senate "the greatest deliberative body in the world." It'll be a while before it earns that title again.

Pat Buchanan had an excellent article about this on his website. It's a must read for all those people who doubt the power of the Jewish lobby. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham do not represent the American people. McCain is a borderline psycho who likes to crack jokes about bombing people and Lindsey Graham is nothing short of a traitor. Their allegiance lies with Israel and not America. They are disgusting to me.

So lets see if I got this right, accepting money from foreign source bad because it might influence, accepting money from lobbies for the same reason good? It's seriously no wonder we are in trouble as a nation.

" some of the financial information they seek is legally controlled by others and not up to him to disclose." Huh? He is not in control of information about money that he has received? I'll have to try that with the IRS and see how it flies.

I especially love this part"In a letter to Hagel, 25 Senate Republicans said they could not vote until he provided details on all compensation of more than $5,000 that he had received over the past five years" Talk about your pot calling the kettle black!